Towards the future
by avatarquake
Summary: Director Johnson sets some ground rules and spends some time with her partner.


Towards the future

 **Summary:** Director Johnson sets some ground rules and spends some time with her partner.

* * *

"If SHIELD is going to come back, I want to do it my way." Daisy said seriously.

"So long I pick the tiles." Coulson smiled.

Daisy rolled her eyes.

"OK, you do interior design. Happy?"

"Very." he smiled, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Um..." a thrid voice broke through them. "Can we focus on the coming back thing? I know you are the Director and Coulson's your Deputy, but have you got anyone else? You'll need more people, if you're going to be an international agency, you know."

"We have a few people in mind, yes." Daisy nodded.

"Could I have a general idea?"

"Well, for one thing, Leopold Fitz and his wife, Jemma, are no longer part of SHIELD and if you could keep them locked somewhere where they can't use sience ever again, that would be nice, General Talbot."

"What happened?"

"They started sounding and acting a lot like HYDRA." Daisy said darkly. "I do not want people with so loose morals in my agency."

"What did they do?" Talbot asks with a flat tone.

"Oh, he restrained me and cut me open to give me my powers back, when I was pretty sure I would be the reason of Earth's destruction, while I was begging him to stop."

"Hm...Assault of a goverment organisation's leader, against their will and orders, during a time of crisis, I could throw him in a dark cell for a decade or two."

Daisy raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Talbot grumbled. "And that's a very, _very_ reduced amount of time spent for torturing one's boss. I could throw him in for life, but somehow, you wouldn't be okay with this."

"I wouldn't."

"Well, you're being unreasonably kind to someone who wasn't, but it's your call." Talbot sighed. "Why is he smiling?" he asked, eyeing Coulson.

Coulson's smile turned to a smirk.

"He likes it when people are supportive of me. I think." Daisy grinned, pressing a quick kiss to Coulson's temple.

"You deserve the best, boss." he said.

Talbot sighed.

"Next time, please leave the dotting husband in the waiting room." he mumbled.

"And miss the chance of your reactions? Nah." Daisy chuckled.

"Anything else about your people?" Talbot asked, trying to get back on track.

"Bobbi Morse and Lance Hunter."

"That's a tough order, you know. The Russians are still on them."

"Well, try something. I am not expecting them back now, but I would like to have them back in SHIELD. Bobbi Morse, particularly." Daisy said.

"I'll see what I can do. Just don't expect miracles, ok?" Talbot sighed.

"The Accords, dismantled. Inhumans and gifted people shouldn't be tagged and locked away like animals."

"Well, if SHIELD's leader is an Inhuman, working to protect the earth, that would be less hard to work on." Talbot mumbled. "You do drive a hard deal, though. You'll make a good Director."

"Thanks." Daisy looked sideways, at Phil.

Coulson, quietly took her hand and squeezed a little. Daisy smiled.

"Are those all your terms?"

"For now, I think yes." she nodded. "Oh, right. Our assets. I would like them back. You know, the equipment that was taken from the Playground." she added.

Talbot sighed.

"Fine. That is the easiest thing on the list."

"Billy and Sam Koenig will be in charge of retrieving them." Daisy said, standing up. "Looking forward to working with you." she grinned.

"Why do I feel like you're more trouble than Coulson was?"

"I learned from the best." Coulson said shoulder-bumping Daisy.

Talbot sighed and waved them off.

"How did it go?" Mack asked them once they boarded the Quinjet.

"Let Billy and Sam know they'll be getting our stuff from Talbot soon. He'll work for the other two and accepted the fourth. I don't want to deal with those two anymore."

"They're getting transferred, then?" Mack asked.

"As soon as Piper and Davis are ready."

"I'll radio in, tell them to go?"

"Yeah, do that." Daisy sighed, sitting down.

"You ok?" Coulson asked softly.

"Yeah. Just thinking of all we have to do to get back up and out there. Seems exhausting, huh?"

"I'm sorry. I meant to give you something complete and ready to be used and molded the way you'd see fit." Coulson said, appologetic. "Instead, everything went to hell."

"Hey, not your fault."

"I just wish I could have done something, _anything_ , to be of more help."

"You are by my side all the time. That means everything to me, you know that."

"I know. I just want to do more for you."

"And you wonder why she loves you." Mack sighed from the pilot's seat.

"Well, after what happened with the Kree and how I had to dismiss everyone to start from scratch, I think emotional support is what I will need most right now." Daisy sighed, smilling at Coulson. "I need to thank Nick for the agents he vetted, too."

"I did. In your place." Coulson said. Daisy stared at him. "I...uh...you were busy setting them up with Sam and Billy and I knew you'd get more busy with planning missions, meetings and...I just wanted to lighten the load for you. Nick said he'd like to meet you in person, too, once you had a little free time."

"Phil, you are my hero." she said seriously.

"What. No, no, I just..."

"You are my hero and I love you." Daisy cut him off.

"Love you, too."

They landed and Mack, practically ran out of the jet.

"Did they embarrass you again, querido?" Elena grinned at the hangar, greeting him with a kiss.

"We did not!" Daisy and Coulson replied indignantly.

"Director."

"Hey, Mike. What's up?"

"Piper and Davis took the...couple to the army. They should be back in half an hour." Mike said.

"How's Creel settling in?"

"He's well. He wants to be with you whenever you visit Talbot, though, so he's sulking at the moment." Agent Klein said.

"Next time." Daisy smiled a little.

"Daisy! We're going to get our stuff from Talbot. We worked a location and everything." Sam said, passing her and the others by, Billy hot on his heals, as they walked towards the SUVs."

"You'll see Talbot, too?"

"Uh...probably?" Sam paused. "He'll have to be present to make sure the hand-off happens right?"

"Carl!" Daisy called.

Creel walked over to them, trying hard not to look like he was still sour for not coming along with her and Coulson.

"Yes?"

"Go with the Koenigs. They will likely meet with Talbot. And they could use the extra pair of hands."

"Thanks, boss." he nodded.

She watched the three of them get on a Quinjet and then turned to Coulson.

"What else is on the agenta for today?"

"Uh..." Coulson looked at his pad. "We're still busy with the Thanos clean-up." he said. "So, that and setting the date of you presenting SHIELD as a legitimate worldwide organisation."

"So, I can take the evening off?"

"In a relative way of speaking." Coulson said. "There's some paperwork to deal with."

Daisy groaned.

"Take it back. This job's paperwork is going to be the death of me."

"Sorry, boss." he grinned. "I am happy to be one of your agents. Besides, you are doing a great job as our leader. Do you want this to go back to the mess I made it?"

"You didn't make a mess, Phil. You were facing a fuckload of shitty situations."

"If I had listened to you more..." he sighed. "Things would have more than likely worked out better. A whole lot better."

"You don't know that."

"No? Ward wouldn't have taken you from Providence, we would have figured out the map so much earlier, I should have been more guarded with Price as you warned me, trying to stop her not change her into someone like you."

"Phil...Stop beating yourself up over everything." Daisy sighed. " _I_ stopped doing that. All I needed was a friend to torture me, his wife to comfort my torturer and my former SO to tell me to lighten up instead of standing up for myself and that I am not a good leader because I wanted to save your ass. After five years of minimising myself to please and save them, no more."

"I still can't believe..." he shook his head. "I guess I am disappointed. I mean, those two had showed signs of... amoral behavior, before, but I wanted to believe they'd behave...I thought I knew her at least."

Daisy shrugged.

"Well, my point stands; if _I_ can learn to not blame myself for the past, when I had absolutely nothing to do with the shitty situation, then so can you."

Coulson smiled.

"Daisy, it was never your fault."

Daisy shook her head, and pulled him in for a kiss.

"You say stuff like that all the time, Phillip. If I didn't know better, I'd think you're trying to butter me up."

Coulson held her close.

"Just saying the truth." he said softly, before leaning closer to kiss her.

"Um, maybe you should do that somewhere more private?" Cameron's voise broke through.

"Sorry." Daisy smiled over to the somewhat uncomfortable agent.

Coulson blushed slightly, mumbling a 'sorry' himself.

They walked, hand in hand, to their office, to catch up with their work and...other things.

Later, both of them wrapped around each other on the couch, Coulson pressed a soft kiss to her temple.

"I am so glad I met you." he sighed. "That was my best day ever."

Daisy snorted.

"What?" he asked.

"I am trying to think what my dad's reaction to us would be." she said, "Concidering he initially thought you were trying to replace him."

"He would try to kill me again, you know."

"I really don't think he'd do it. Mom was way older than you are now when they met." she said. "She was very, very old."

"Her powers?"

"Yeah." she sighed.

"I wish I had met her, too." Coulson said, running his firngers through her hair.

"What if she tried to kill you, too?" she asked. "You already lost your hand because of her plan."

"I don't regret it. And I don't blame her." he said. "You know that."

"Yeah. Thank you."

"Don't thank me." he shook his head, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. "You never told me, though."

"What?"

"Your best day ever."

"Hm. The first time I used my powers in the cabin and made that water trick. And then again, when I made a mountain move."

"I wish I had stayed to see the water bend to your will that first time." he hummed.

"You were needed back home. I would have blamed myself if Gonzales's SHIELD took over because you were with me."

"Not that being there made much of a difference." he chuckled.

"Why are we talking about this stuff, instead of making out?"

"Sorry, boss. My bad." Phil smirked, closing the gap between their lips.

"Good boy." Daisy smirked against his lips.


End file.
